


Save it for a Rainy Day

by CapturetheFinnick



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, EFA Fic Challenge 2018, F/F, Family, Multi, a little in the future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-07 02:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14661324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapturetheFinnick/pseuds/CapturetheFinnick
Summary: Wynonna leaves Alice with Waverly and Nicole on a rainy day, and they get cabin fever trying to cope with an energetic three year old in a small apartment.





	Save it for a Rainy Day

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so I really wanted to write something for the EFA challenge (prompt: rain) but it's exam season, so this is the best you're getting out of me! Hope you enjoy it (sorry if it's cheesy)

Rain spat at the window, the curtain billowing, hitting Waverly repeatedly in the face. She groaned, rubbing her eyes and tried to half clamber over Nicole (who could sleep through anything), shutting the window forcibly.  She was tired, sat perched on the end of the bed half in a haze a vague outline of the room before her swimming in half-drowsed vision, the slight chill of the wind still prickling her arms through the closed window, and she was pretty sure someone was knocking heavily at the door. She groaned, wiping the smattering of rain off her face. The room was still vaguely dark and her flashing alarm clock told her it was seven am. And there was the noise again, _thump, thump, thump_ at the door. She pulled her nightie further down over her knees, and stumbled down the stairs, eyes still half shut, using the wooden banister to feel her way down. The _thump_ came again.

“I’m coming!” she yelled. _Somebody_ was very impatient. She opened the door, the bright light hitting her eyes, and taking a little longer to come into focus. The blurred shapes became clear again, revealing Wynonna, phone against her ear looking particularly stressed, one hand on the shoulder of a three-year-old Alice, who beamed up at her, her hair damp and curling.

“Wynonna?” Waverly said, feeling suddenly very scantily clad in the open, the wind blowing rain against her bare legs.

“About time.” Wynonna said, marching into her living room, and placing a small, peppa-pig themed backpack down on her kitchen counter, continuing to talk on the phone, “I said I’d be there as soon as I can,” she hissed, grinning through her teeth as Alice looked up at her, “If my _sister_ ,” she glared at Waverly, “had answered her door a bit damn quicker I could have already been on the road.”

“Wy what is going on?” Waverly said, but Wynonna ignored her, holding out her hand and pressing her phone closer against her ear.

“Yeah, yeah.” She sighed, “See you in ten Dolls.” She hung up the phone,

“What took you so long?” She said, sliding her phone back into her pocket, and staring pointedly at Waverly.

“What is happening Wy?” Waverly said, sleep still laced into her voice, as she leaned back against the sofa.

“I’ve brought Alice?” Wynonna said, staring at her as if that answered her question.

“Yeah I can see that,”

“You promised you’d look after her today,” Wynonna said, pausing when she saw the confusion in Waverly’s eyes, “I have some urgent work to do?”

“What?”

“You don’t remember?” Wynonna said, raising her eyebrows, and kissing Alice on the head, already half way out the door.

“No?”

“Last week, when you came to the station?” Wynonna sighed, her eyes on the rain outside the door, “Dolls asked me to work and I asked you if you would look after baby girl?” she said, irritated.

“F-fudge,” Waverly said, eyeing the small child, looking up at her with big round eyes.

Because she did remember that day, she remembered Wynonna saying something to her, and she remembered nonchalantly nodding whilst not really listening to a word she was saying. But, most of all she remembered the way Nicole looked in the Stetson, her chin tilted, hands in pockets as she nodded away to what Mr Graves was saying, sneakily offering Waverly side grins as she did so. Safe so say Waverly was more focused on Nicole, the ways her eyes lit up, her gait slightly to the left, her khaki’s hugging her –

“Waverly!” Wynonna said, clicking her fingers in front of her face, “Whether or not you remember, I don’t have time.” She said, waving to Alice behind her, “Have fun baby girl,” she grinned, throwing an arm over her head and heading back out into the driving rain.

And so that was how Waverly ended up dressed in a rather-too-short nightie in the middle of her living room, a passed-out girlfriend upstairs and a small child grinning up at her expectantly, as rain drummed heavily against the roof.

~

Alice jumped on Nicole, startling her awake, her arms shooting out in defence, “What the f-“

“Child!” Waverly shouted, and Nicole opened her eyes, to see a small girl hanging above her, her bright blonde hair falling over her blue eyes, grinning as she stood back up again before jumping on the bed, much to the distaste of Calamity Jane who skulked off behind their chest of drawers.

“Is Wy here?” Nicole said softly, pushing herself up on her elbows and brushing her red hair out of her eyes.

“No,” Waverly said, expanding when Nicole looked confused, “Alice is staying with us for the day, isn’t that right pumpkin?” she said, grinning at her niece.  

“Oh!” Nicole said, the child eyeing her expectedly, “When was this decided?” she whispered to Waverly.

“About five minutes ago,” Waverly grinned.

 Alice cried out, “Can we have pancakes?!” And Nicole groaned, staring at the pouring rain out of the window, knowing full well their cupboards and fridge were bare. Her eyes returned to where both Waverly and Alice had tilted their heads, eyes widening in a way that let her know she’d already lost. God damn it. She groaned, so much for a lie in.

~

They’d made pancakes, eaten them, watched TV, read three books, abandoned a macaroni-themed craft half way through, had a Lego competition and put on a full puppet show with a rather bizarre characterisation of mickey mouse, _and it was still only eleven o’clock._

Waverly lay her head against Nicole’s on the sofa, the pair watching Alice as she built and then knocked down towers (an activity that would no doubt only keep her entertained for all of seven minutes). Waverly could feel her eyes going,

“Don’t you dare fall asleep on me,” Nicole said, nudging her back awake.

“I’m exhausted,” Waverly complained, pouting, the rain still hammering impossibly hard against the window.

“Yeah well that’s your own fault,” Nicole smirked,

“Like hell!” she batted her on the arm, “As if you didn’t wear _those jeans_ on purpose.”

“They’re just jeans Waverly!”

“They’re the tightest jeans and you know it,” Waverly smirked before the small girl catapulted herself at them, breaking them out of whatever moment they were having. Nicole scooped her up in her arms, throwing her slightly above her, all the while as she giggled, and shouted _higher, higher_. Waverly couldn’t help but smile. She leant her head back against Nicole’s shoulder, relishing in her moment of peace in all the chaos, relishing in a potential vision of her future, the rain a backing track to giggles and grins. And, feeling Nicole’s warmth against her own arm, she could not imagine a person she’d rather go into battle with, a more perfect partner in crime, to stand and face the world with.  For not the first time, she imagined a future where her own children ran across the floors, and Nicole turned to smile at her, placing Alice firmly in her own lap, pausing for a moment before reaching out to tickle Waverly’s ribs, Alice reaching and joining in, the pair of them turning on her.

~

By the time Wynonna turned up, the rain had settled into a fine drizzle. She grinned at Waverly, but Waverly could see exhaustion lurking behind the cracks. Dolls stood behind her, looked as if he were wilting at the edges, his hardened exterior collapsing beneath exhaustion.

“Long day?” Waverly said, and Wynonna laughed at the stickers and glitter that adorned her face,

“Seems like yours was just as long,” she said, collapsing on the sofa, “where is the little ragamuffin anyway,” she said, and as if summoning her, there came a cry of ‘ _mommy!_ ’ as Alice jumped on top of Wynonna throwing her arms around her, Waverly watching as Wynonna winced, smiling through the pain,

“Hey baby girl, missed you today.” She grinned, placing kisses all over Alice’s face as she squealed, wriggling in her grasp.

“Me too!” she laughed.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yes!”

Waverly let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, thankful that Wynonna was back now. Thankful to see them both in one piece, a support system back in place, like a house of cards, each leaning on each other. _It takes a village to raise a child_ (and wasn’t that the truth.) As much as she loved her niece, being responsible full time had been nothing if not exhausting, especially with the _drum drum drum_ of the rain, and the echo of cabin fever. (ironically, the rain seemed to have slowed now.)

“You guys want a drink?” Waverly said, noticing the way Dolls’ eyes were fluttering shut in the arm chair.

“Whiskey,” both of them said simultaneously – turning to laugh at each other.

“Where is Haught anyway?” Wynonna grinned, pushing herself up on her elbows, “Couldn’t handle it?”

“I could handle it fine, thanks,” Nicole said, walking across the living room and placing a kiss on Waverly’s lips, “except Alice might have, maybe, drawn all over the fridge whilst I was making her a smoothie,” Nicole rushed sheepishly, handing Alice her drink.

Wynonna laughed, “She’s a handful alright,” and there was nothing Waverly could do but smile.

“Nothing on you,” she smirked, hitting her on the shoulder.

“Hey! I wasn’t that bad!” Wynonna shouted, and everyone simultaneously rolled their eyes.

“Sure, Wy, whatever you say,” Nicole laughed, plonking herself down near Wynonna’s feet at the other side of the sofa,

“You weren’t even there!”

Waverly shook her head, reaching for the whiskey out of the top cupboard, grinning as she saw Alice’s scribbles across the fridge. In her defence, it was a nice picture, a small stick figure, holding hands with two taller stick figures, all three with wobbly smiles, hearts floating around them like clouds. Waverly must have been getting soft with age, because the sight of it made her well up a little, there was nothing like nieces to make you broody. She would _definitely_ be having a talk with Nicole. As she poured the whiskey, she could hear laughter from the other room, a distant shout of _it was only a small fire,_ their voices warm as honey, wrapping itself around her waist. She smiled, remembering when she’d longed for this, for a gentle ease, to be surrounded by family, to have her only problem be the gentle pattering of rain on the window pane. Alice tugged at her top, breaking her from her daydream.

“Here do you want to help me give these to mommy?” Waverly smiled, placing a glass in her grubby open hands, and seeing her eyes widen. This was a responsibility. She smiled, sticking her tongue out in concentration as she carried the glass, Waverly behind her.

And Waverly joined her family, their laughter drifting over her like silk. She perched on the edge of the sofa, slowly rubbing her hand along Nicole’s, the lit fire glowing, floating light across her face, small embers dancing around the crown of her head. And she wondered when exactly she had become so settled, when home had started to mean comfort and happiness and family. But it didn’t really matter when, only that now she had not only a place to call home, but people too. So, taking another sip of her whiskey, she joined in the laughter, hoping every day could end exactly like this.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought :)  
> As always tumblr is waverlystation


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